Is there a better time of year to be a sports fan?

    Next week might be the best time of year to be a sports fan. The first day of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, with every bracket pristine and pure, is as good as athletics gets.

     If you needed a reminder of how taut and draining one-and-done basketball can be, Davidson and Western Carolina provided it Monday night. Davidson's 93-91 double-overtime victory was sensational. Felt great for the Wildcats. Felt terrible for Western Carolina in the loser goes home game. 

     But how do you compare the first round of the NCAA tournament with other sports? I love the opening of NFl training camps, love going to Spartanburg and thinking about what will follow. I love the NFL's opening day, even if this season it will fall on a Wednesday. I love the first full Sunday of the NFL season. I love the opening day of Major League Baseball, which bumps up against the Final Four.

      There are a lot of contenders. But if I had to pick one day to be a sports fan, it would be the first full round of the NCAA tournament.

 

Comments

[Curry]

If I had to pick one day, it would be the same day you chose, Tom. But if I had to pick one month, beginning to end, I would pick Saturday March 3 through Monday, April 2.

That gives me the final Duke-Carolina game, the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. There isn't a better time of the year.

[Bob]

This absolutely the worst time of the year for sports, unless you like Basketball. To me it's not real hard for a 6'10" or more person to put a ball threw a 10' tall goal. It is by far the easiest sport to master. No NFL, No regular season Baseball. Wow I hate this time of year, come on boys of summer.

[Julia]

I concur with March 3 through April 2. As a Carolina grad I remember being in labor on a Saturday 25 years ago when Carolina won the semi-final game and then went on to lose on Sunday. I won a beautiful daughter though and have enjoyed this time of year ever since. With the emergence of all things spring and an opportunity to raz a few Dook fans I'm having a ball. Last year I made a drink called blue cadillac when Carolina won the regular season ACC championship and I fondly recall adorning a tree in my front yard with toilet paper and reluctantly cleaning it all up the next day. The added bonus to all this is my birthday is April 2nd!!! Doesn't get any better than this time of year for me!!! GO HEELS!!!!

[Chuck]

To Julia: You rolled your own yard? Take it easy on those blue cadillacs next time.

[Jay in Charlotte]

I could care less about College basketball...and this is coming from someone born and raised in NC (living in Charlotte)...give me the NFL anyday of the week...nothing beats NFL or college football for that matter...College basketball, especially the whole Duke - Carolina rivalry, I just don't get it or see what's the big deal... I hear the same noise from those fans every year, they sound the same and seem to be making more out of a game that is really not that important or relevant. And it certainly isn't as big nationally as college football or the NFL. I don't care for College Basketball, except for the school I attended...and even when I did care, I rooted for the Big East schools such as Georgetown back in the 80's when the Big East was truly the Big East and the ACC had the traditional regional schools. That is another reason why I'm now indifferent to college basketball, because the traditional conferences have been destroyed and are no longer regional. People here glorify college basketball as "pristine and pure" but villify the NBA as everything dark and evil. The same players you root for in college because they wear your favorite school colors, playing for a free education (despite everyone else earning millions)...are villified in the NBA when they finally have a chance to earn millions, rightfully so, as allowed a free market capitalistic society. Kind of hypocritical isn't it...I'm just not buying what's being sold to me when it comes to major college basketball...it's all bs.

[Las Vegas]

Best Weekend in sports is definitely the first round of the NCAA tournament. Best Day is the Super Bowl or any once in a life time boxing match (Ali/Frazier).

[Wow]

I'm gonna go with NFL playoff time. Nothing better than the build-up to the biggest game in the world.

[Nike Shoes]

chances are you'll be out. What is additional, there sizes of air max 2012 online shoes are accurate for you personally. Summer time sports running or trainning footwear is the cool low-priced nike air max 2011 footwear.

[Nike Shoes]

chances are you'll be out. What is additional, there sizes of air max 2012 online shoes are accurate for you personally. Summer time sports running or trainning footwear is the cool low-priced nike air max 2011 footwear.

[jordan france]

Hello webixdqwsl,
In my spare time I absolutely adore to draw, quest moose with hang earlier mentioned above the rest almost my friends projnsbmftv
good ixdqwsl!!

[Cheap Michael Kors]

ifioucxahgt, Buddy message | Cheap Michael Kors Great, sensible in the midst of a ful lot needed support .* Cheap Michael Kors ハ∩tfboctiqnn

[Jordan Shoes Sale]

Bivgwkxkozd burden this individual can almost never bear | Jordan Shoes Sale You particular to be. Jordan Shoes Sale シゾnjlklffkto